anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第117部分

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　inside　of　his　cheek　and　was　finally　chewed　and　swallowed。　A　sword　was　next　produced；　and　after　the　usual　preliminaries　it　was　drawn　by　the　same　man　who　had　just　given　the　scorpion　such　unusual　opportunities　several　times　back　and　forth　across　his　throat　and　neck；　apparently　deeply　imbedded　in　the　flesh。　Not　content　with　this；　he　bared　his　body　at　his　waist；　and　while　one　man　held　the　sword；　edge　upward；　by　the　hilt　and　another　by　the　point；　about　which　a　turban　had　been　wrapped；　he　first　stood　upon　it　with　his　bare　feet　and　then　balanced　himself　across　it　on　his　naked　stomach；　while　still　another　of　the　performers　stood　upon　his　back；　whither　he　had　sprung　without　any　attempt　to　mollify　the　violence　of　the　action。　With　more　yells　and　genuflections；　another　now　drew　from　the　fire　several　iron　skewers；　some　of　which　he　thrust　into　the　inner　side　of　his　cheeks　and　others　into　his　throat　at　the　larynx；　where　they　were　left　for　a　while　to　hang。

〃The　last　of　the　actors　in　this　singular　entertainment　was　a　stout　man　with　a　careworn　face；　who　apparently　regarded　his　share　as　a　melancholy　duty　which　he　was　bound　to　perform；　and　the　last　part　of　it；　I　have　no　doubt；　was　particularly　painful。　He　first　took　a　handful　of　hay；　and；　having　bared　the　whole　upper　part　of　his　body；　lighted　the　wisp　at　the　brazier　and　then　passed　the　blazing　mass　across　his　chest　and　body　and　over　his　arms　and　face。　This　was　but　a　preliminary；　and　presently　he　began　to　sway　backward　and　forward　until　one　grew　dazed　with　watching　him。　The　drums　grew　noisier　and　noisier　and　the　chant　louder　and　wilder。　The　man　himself　had　become　maudlin；　his　tongue　hung　from　his　mouth；　and　now　and　then　he　ejaculated　a　sound　like　the　inarticulate　cry　of　an　animal。　He　could　only　totter　to　the　fire；　out　of　which　he　snatched　the　balled　instrument　already　described；　which　he　thereupon　thrust　with　a　vicious　stab　into　the　pit　of　his　stomach；　where　it　was　left　to　hang。　A　moment　after　he　pulled　it　out　again；　and；　picking　up　the　piece　of　stone　used　before；　he　drove　it　with　a　series　of　resounding　blows　into　a　new　place；　where　it　hung；　drawing　the　skin　downward　with　its　weight；　until　a　companion　pulled　it　out　and　the　man　fell　in　a　heap　on　the　floor。〃

To…day　it　is　only　through　the　intervention　of　the　United　States　troops　that　some　of　the　barbarous　ceremonies　of　the　North　American　Indians　are　suppressed。　The　episode　of　the　〃Ghost…dance〃　is　fresh　in　every　mind。　Instances　of　self…mutilation；　although　illustrating　this　subject；　will　be　discussed　at　length　in　Chapter　XIV。

Malingerers　often　endure　without　flinching　the　most　arduous　tests。　Supraorbital　pressure　is　generally　of　little　avail；　and　pinching；　pricking；　and　even　incision　are　useless　with　these　hospital　impostors。　It　is　reported　that　in　the　City　Hospital　of　St。　Louis　a　negro　submitted　to　the　ammonia…test；　inhaling　this　vapor　for　several　hours　without　showing　any　signs　of　sensibility；　and　made　his　escape　the　moment　his　guard　was　absent。　A　contemporary　journal　says：

〃The　obstinacy　of　resolute　impostors　seems；　indeed；　capable　of　emulating　the　torture…proof　perseverance　of　religious　enthusiasts　and　such　martyrs　of　patriotism　as　Mueius　Scaevola　or　Grand　Master　Ruediger　of　the　Teutonic　Knights；　who　refused　to　reveal　the　hiding　place　of　his　companion　even　when　his　captors　belabored　him　with　red…hot　irons。

〃One　Basil　Rohatzek；　suspected　of　fraudulent　enlistment　（bounty…jumping；　as　our　volunteers　called　it）；　pretended　to　have　been　thrown　by　his　horse　and　to　have　been　permanently　disabled　by　a　paralysis　of　the　lower　extremities。　He　dragged　himself　along　in　a　pitiful　manner；　and　his　knees　looked　somewhat　bruised；　but　he　was　known　to　have　boasted　his　ability　to　procure　his　discharge　somehow　or　other。　One　of　his　tent　mates　had　also　seen　him　fling　himself　violently　and　repeatedly　on　his　knees　（to　procure　those　questionable　bruises）；　and　on　the　whole　there　seemed　little　doubt　that　the　fellow　was　shamming。　All　the　surgeons　who　had　examined　him　concurred　in　that　view；　and　the　case　was　finally　referred　to　his　commanding　officer；　General　Colloredo。　The　impostor　was　carried　to　a　field　hospital　in　a　little　Bohemian　border　town　and　watched　for　a　couple　of　weeks；　during　which　he　had　been　twice　seen　moving　his　feet　in　his　sleep。　Still；　the　witnesses　were　not　prepared　to　swear　that　those　changes　of　position　might　not　have　been　effected　by　a　movement　of　the　whole　body。　The　suspect　stuck　to　his　assertion；　and　Colloredo；　in　a　fit　of　irritation；　finally　summoned　a　surgeon；　who　actually　placed　the　feet　of　the　professed　paralytic　in　〃aqua　fortis；〃　but　even　this　rigorous　method　availed　the　cruel　surgeon　nothing；　and　he　was　compelled　to　advise　dismissal　from　the　service。

〃The　martyrdom　of　Rohatzek；　however；　was　a　mere　trifle　compared　with　the　ordeal　by　which　the　tribunal　of　Paris　tried　in　vain　to　extort　a　confession　of　the　would…be　regicide；　Damiens。　Robert　Damiens；　a　native　of　Arras；　had　been　exiled　as　an　habitual　criminal；　and　returning　in　disguise　made　an　attempt　upon　the　life　of　Louis　XV；　January　5；　1757。　His　dagger　pierced　the　mantle　of　the　King；　but　merely　grazed　his　neck。　Damiens；　who　had　stumbled；　was　instantly　seized　and　dragged　to　prison；　where　a　convocation　of　expert　torturers　exhausted　their　ingenuity　in　the　attempt　to　extort　a　confession　implicating　the　Jesuits；　a　conspiracy　of　Huguenots；　etc。　But　Damiens　refused　to　speak。　He　could　have　pleaded　his　inability　to　name　accomplices　who　did　not　exist；　but　he　stuck　to　his　resolution　of　absolute　silence。　They　singed　off　his　skin　by　shreds；　they　wrenched　out　his　teeth　and　finger…joints；　they　dragged　him　about　at　the　end　of　a　rope　hitched　to　a　team　of　stout　horses；　they　sprinkled　him　from　head　to　foot　with　acids　and　seething　oil；　but　Damiens　never　uttered　a　sound　till　his　dying　groan　announced　the　conclusion　of　the　tragedy。〃

The　apparent　indifference　to　the　pain　of　a　major　operation　is　sometimes　marvelous；　and　there　are　many　interesting　instances　on　record。　When　at　the　battle　of　Dresden　in　1813　Moreau；　seated　beside　the　Emperor　Alexander；　had　both　limbs　shattered　by　a　French　cannon…ball；　he　did　not　utter　a　groan；　but　asked　for　a　cigar　and　smoked　leisurely　while　a　surgeon　amputated　one　of　his　members。　In　a　short　time　his　medical　attendants　expressed　the　danger　and　questionability　of　saving　his　other　limb；　and　consulted　him。　In　the　calmest　way　the　heroic　General　instructed　them　to　amputate　it；　again　remaining　unmoved　throughout　the　operation。

Crompton　records　a　case　in　which　during　an　amputation　of　the　leg　not　a　sound　escaped　from　the　patient's　lips；　and　in　three　weeks；　when　it　was　found　necessary　to　amputate　the　other　leg；　the　patient　endured　the　operation　without　an　anesthetic；　making　no　show　of　pain；　and　only　remarking　that　he　thought　the　saw　did　not　cut　well。　Crompton　quotes　another　case；　in　which　the　patient　held　a　candle　with　one　hand　while　the　operator　amputated　his　other　arm　at　the　shoulder…joint。　Several　instances　of　self…performed　major　operations　are　mentioned　in　Chapter　XIV。

Supersensitiveness　to　Pain。Quite　opposite　to　the　foregoing　instances　are　those　cases　in　which　such　influences　as　expectation；　naturally　inherited　nervousness；　and　genuine　supersensitiveness　make　the　slightest　pain　almost　unendurable。　In　many　of　these　instances　the　state　of　the　mind　and　occasionally　the　time　of　day　have　a　marked　influence。　Men　noted　for　their　sagacity　and　courage　have　been　prostrated　by　fear　of　pain。　Sir　Robert　Peel；　a　man　of　acknowledged　superior　physical　and　intellectual　power；　could　not　even　bear　the　touch　of　Brodie's　finger　to　his　fractured　clavicle。　The　authors　know　of　an　instance　of　a　pugilist　who　had　elicited　admiration　by　his　ability　to　stand　punishment　and　his　indomitable　courage　in　his　combats；　but　who　fainted　from　the　puncture　of　a　small　boil　on　his　neck。

The　relation　of　pain　to　shock　has　been　noticed　by　many　writers。　Before　the　days　of　anesthesia；　such　cases　as　the　following；　reported　by　Sir　Astley　Cooper；　seem　to　have　been　not　unusual：　A　brewer's　servant；　a　man　of　middle　age　and　robust　frame；　suffered　much　agony　for　several　days　from　a　thecal　abscess；　occasioned　by　a　splinter　of　wood　beneath　the　thumb。　A　few　seconds　after　the　matter　was　discharged　by　an　incision；　the　man　raised　himself　by　a　convulsive　effort　from　his　bed　and　instantly　expired。

It　is　a　well…known　fact　that　powerful　nerve…irritation；　such　as　produces　shock；　is　painless；　and　this　accounts　for　the　fact　that　wounds　received　during　battle　are　not　painful。

Leyden　of　Berlin　showed　to　his　class　at　the　Charite　Hospital　a　number　of　hysteric　women　with　a　morbid　desire　for　operation　without　an　anesthetic。　Such　persons　do　not　seem　to　experience　pain；　and；　on　the　contrary；　appear　to　have　genuine　pleasure　in　pain。　In　illustration；　Leyden　showed　a　young　lady　who　during　a　hysteric　paroxysm　had　suffered　a　serious　fracture　of　the　jaw；　injuring　the　facial　artery；　and　necessitating　quite　an　extensive　operation。　The　facial　and　carotid　arteries　had　to　be　ligated　and　part　of　the　inferior　maxilla　removed；　but　the　patient　insisted　upon　having　the　operations　performed　without　an　anesthetic；　and　afterward　informed　the　operator　that　she　had　experienced　great　pleasure　throughout　the　whole　procedure。

Pain　as　a　Means　of　Sexual　Enjoyment。There　is　a　form　of　sexual　perversion　in　which　the　pervert　takes　delight　in　being　subjected　to　degrading；　humiliating；　and　cruel　acts　on　the　part　of　his　or　her　associate。　It　was　named　masochism　from　Sacher…Masoch；　an　Austrian　novelist；　whose　works　describe　this　form　of　perversion。　The　victims　are　said　to　experience　peculiar　pleasure　at　the　sight　of　a　rival　who　has　obtained　the　favor　of　their　mistress；　and　will　even　receive　blows　and　lashes　from　the　rival　with　a　voluptuous　mixture　of　pain　and　pleasure。　Masochism　corresponds　to　the　passivism　of　Stefanowski；　and　is　the　opposite　of　sadism；　in　which　the　pleasure　is　derived　from　inflicting　pain　on　the　object　of　affection。　Krafft…Ebing　cites　several　instances　of　masochism。

Although　the　enjoyment　and　frenzy　of　flagellation　are　well　known；　its　pleasures　are　not　derived　from　the　pain　but　by　the　undoubted　stimulation　offered　to　the　sexual　centers　by　the　castigation。　The　delight　of　the　heroines　of　flagellation；　Maria　Magdalena　of　Pazzi　and　Elizabeth　of　Genton；　in　being　whipped　on